Rygel XVI
| aliases = Dominar Rygel XVI; Fluffy; Stinky; Spanky; Buckwheat All nicknames that John Crichton has given him over the years. | series = Farscape | image = | gender = | notability = | occupation = | race = Hynerian | base of operations = Moya | known relatives = Rygel the Great (direct ancestor) Rygel II-XV (director ancestors) Bishan (cousin) D'Argo Sun Crichton (surrogate son) | status = | born = | died = | 1st appearance = Farscape: Premiere | final appearance = Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars | actor = Jonathan Hardy }} Rygel XVI is one of the main characters featured on the US/Australian science fiction television series Farscape, which ran for four seasons from 1999 to 2003. The character has appeared in all 88 episodes of the show as well as the 2004 miniseries spin-off Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. The character has also been featured in the Farscape: The Game video game and the various Farscape comic book and novel adaptations. On the TV series, Rygel XVI was voied by actor Jonathan Hardy. Biography Rygel XVI is a Hynerian who once held the position of Dominar on his home planet of Hyneria. Rygel is descended from a long line of noble leaders, most of whom held positions of great authority. Rygel was deposed as Dominar by his scheming cousin Bishan. Framed for criminal activities, he was handed over to the Peacekeepers and imprisoned for many years. Rygel was imprisoned aboard the Peacekeeper Command Carrier known as the Zelbinion, which was captained by a sadistic Sebacean named Selto Durka. Durka took great delight in tormenting Rygel and persistantly tortured him over the course of 130 cycles. Escape from Moya While serving time on the Leviathan ship known as Moya, Rygel managed to bribe a guard and acquire the security codes to the detention cells. He freed fellow prisoners Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan and Ka D'Argo and together they succeeded in taking control of the ship and escaped from the Peacekeepers. During this incident, the crew of Moya found themselves with two unexpected and uninvited passengers; the first being the Earth human John Crichton and the other being a Prowler pilot named Aeryn Sun. Like the rest of the crew, Rygel had no reservation about expressing his hatred of Peacekeepers and he was not particularly fond of Crichton either. He showed his distate for Crichton by spitting in his face moments after meeting him. Farscape: Premiere Due to his short stature, Rygel was often selected to perform duties that required access to cramped areas. He was forced to crawl into Moya's neural nexus in order to disengage a Paddac beacon that was broadcasting a signal to the Peacekeepers. Farscape: I, E.T. A short time later, Rygel was scurrying through the underbelly of the ship where he discovered an infestation of parasitic Draks using one of Moya's chambers as a nest. Farscape: Exodus from Genesis Notes & Trivia * * Rygel is one of two main characters on Farscape who are puppets who were created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop; the other being Pilot. He is voiced by actor Jonathan Hardy. * Rygel almost never ambulates with his own legs. He prefers to move about Moya via his Hynerian hover-throne. * Whenever he is nervous or angry, Rygel has a tendency to pass gas. His flatulence is comprised of helium, which causes the voices of anyone within his immediate vicinity to increase in pitch. Farscape: Premiere Notable episodes * "Premiere" (1st appearance; escape from the Peacekeepers) * "Durka Returns" (Imprisonment under Durka revealed) * "The Peacekeeper Wars" (Midwifes John and Aeryn's child) See also External links * Rygel XVI at the Holosuite * Rygel XVI at the Farscape Wiki References ---- Category:Aliens Category:Hynerians